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Sweet Invention

About the Book
From the sacred fudge served to India’s gods to the ephemeral baklava of Istanbul’s harems, the towering sugar creations of Renaissance Italy, and the exotically scented macarons of twenty-first century Paris, the world’s confectionary arts have not only mirrored social, technological, and political revolutions, they have also, in many ways, been in their vanguard. Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert captures the stories of sweet makers past and present from India, the Middle East, Italy, France, Vienna, and the United States, as author Michael Krondl meets with confectioners around the globe, savoring and exploring the dessert icons of each tradition. Readers will be tantalized by the rich history of each region’s unforgettable desserts and tempted to try their own hand at a time-honored recipe. A fascinating and rewarding read for any lover of sugar, butter, and cream, Sweet Invention embraces the pleasures of dessert while unveiling the secular, metaphysical, and even sexual uses that societies have found for it.

Sweet Invention Website
As I was doing research on the book, I realized that there was no way I could possibly fit everything I found in a book. I had lots of pictures that, while perhaps not quite good enough for Saveur Magazine, nevertheless gave insight into sweet-making traditions around the world. I had yummy recipes that we didn’t have space for and finally I wanted to create an interactive glossary, a sort of global dessert dictionary.
If you can contribute anything to the website, add a link, or correct any mistakes (whether in the book or on the website) I would be duly grateful. Sweet Invention, history of dessert, Sweet Invention
Michael Krondl

Some Sweet things people are saying about Sweet invention:

A food historian and former chef, Krondl (The Taste of Conquest), combines copious research and skilled narrative in this delightful journey through the history of dessert.... read more

Publisher’s Weekly

Michael Krondl's Sweet Invention: A History of Dessert has immeasurably enriched my understanding. The book is as much about sweetness and culture as it is about the specific thing we call dessert -- though it is most assuredly about that too, in its myriad, marvelous, and often bizarre variety....

Katherine A. Powers, Salon

This book would be easy enough to devour in one big bite, but don't. Take a slow amble around the globe, fritter away your time with the delightful stories and remember to eat your dessert..... read more

Julie Foster, Star Tribune

Michael Krondl writes about the history of desserts with grace, wit, and a considerable sweet tooth. His carefully researched tales of monarchs, explorers, chefs, clerics, and early chroniclers of recipes make Sweet Invention both a significant contribution to the history of food and a grippingly entertaining read.”

— Nick Malgieri, author of BAKE! and The Modern Baker

“Frosted with eye-catching detail, layered with the rich and mouthwatering history of all things sweet, and leavened by inspired scholarship, Michael Krondl’s history of dessert is a lush confection in its own right. As Antonin Careme, amongst others, has argued, dessert is the ultimate food— we don’t need it, we desire it; it shows off the most delicate skills of the kitchen worker and the highest aspirations of us all at the table.This is a must-read for all of us who care about food history, or have a sweet tooth.”

— Ian Kelly, author of Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme, the First Celebrity Chef

“Sweet Invention is a captivating journey of dessert travel. beautifully written and fun to read, Michael Krondl manages to take us on a ride as kid in a candy store throughout the ages to modern day.”

— Elizabeth Falkner, pastry chef and author of Elizabeth Falkner’s Demolition Desserts